CleanSpark faces $185 million fine for importing Chinese equipment
American Bitcoin-miner CleanSpark faces a $185 million fine after U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the company violated regulations by importing equipment from China.
According to official data, in 2024, the majority of CleanSpark equipment consisted of Antminer devices from the Chinese manufacturer Bitmain.
If CBP’s claim is upheld and all affected imports are retroactively levied, CleanSpark’s total potential damages would be about $185 million, excluding interest. The company responded by saying that all equipment supplied to its facilities was manufactured outside of China and therefore not subject to customs regulations.
Despite this, CleanSpark shares fell more than 5% on Friday, even after record financial data for the second quarter of 2025 did not help.
CleanSpark isn’t the only mining company that could suffer from Donald Trump’s tariff war. Another major player in the space is also facing a multi-million dollar fine. IREN has received a notice from the regulator about liability for importing $100 million worth of Chinese equipment.
